2014 MDC-T National Council Backing Chamisa Illegal – Mwonzora

Reinstated MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora has dismissed a reconvened 2014 MDC-T National Council meeting held at the party’s headquarters Thursday as “illegal” in the unfolding political drama that seems to be ripping the main opposition apart.

On Thursday, at Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House, the MDC-T headquarters, formerly known as Harvest, 158 party officials met and ordered their acting president, Thokozani Khupe, Mwonzora, and chairperson Morgen Komichi to stop – with immediate effect – acting on behalf of the “former MDC and its organs”.

The politicians also reaffirmed their loyalty to disputed party leader Nelson Chamisa.

At the meeting, the 2014 National Council further resolved to petition former National Standing Committee members including Komichi and Mwonzora to facilitate a National Council meeting on 6 June.

They also resolved to stop Mwonzora, Komichi and Khupe to act on behalf of the former MDC and its organs.

Mwonzora was also accused of illegally acting in recalling MPs of another party – the MDC Alliance.

However, addressing journalists at MDC Senator Elias Mudzuri’s residence in Milton Park, Mwonzora said Thursday’s meeting was illegal and had no status.

He claimed only 30 people ignored the directive he gave cancelling the meeting that was also attended by non-bonafide members including officials from Alliance partners linked to Welshman Ncube’s party.

“This meeting and therefore, the resolutions coming out of it are of no moment to us,” said Mwonzora.

“It had less than 30 people, it had people like Hon. Miriam Mushayi, Hon. Edwin Mushoriwa who were secretary general and vice president respectively in the MDC led by Prof Welshman Ncube in 2014.

“Since the meeting has no status, we are under no legal obligation to consider its resolutions and its petitions. As leadership, we are committed to bring about political stability in our country and remove the politics of hate, violence, rancour, acrimony, and replace with the politics of rational disputations.”

Mwonzora said Thursday’s meeting was an attempt by the MDC Alliance members to derail the holding of the MDC-T planned extraordinary congress set for 31 July in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling the party should elect a new leader to replace late founding president Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai died in 2018 and his succession has been fiercely fought in party corridors and the courts.

Mwonzora also expressed concern the reinstated MDC-T leadership had been victims of a vicious cyber war ahead of the 31 July extraordinary congress.

“We have been victims of a serious cyber war and cyber bullying where we have woken up in the morning to see posters purporting to come from us being strewn all over.

“In fact, in a space of two days there was a poster purporting to be a campaign poster for myself and then within a space of 24 hours, two posters were strewn again purporting to be coming from Hon. Mudzuri, Hon. Komichi.

“The two posters had the same spelling mistakes, same colours showing that they were coming from the same printer.

“However, in all probability, we are going to field one candidate (for the president),” said Mwonzora.

He said the MDC-T was already working on replacing Timveous as Midlands senator and Khumalo as Bulawayo Proportional Representative (PR).

The party was also preparing for by-elections in Kuwadzana East formerly represented by Hwende and Chikanga/Dangamvura where Prosper Mutseyami was the MP.

“We are prepared for the by-elections and we will win,” said Mwonzora.

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